"Bigs" Front and Center at Roses Kickoff

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='773831' first='Charlie' last='Walker'] (2026) of Terre Haute's North Vigo H.S. and Havoc Basketball Silver.   It's that time of year again, as the first July "live" period got underway Thursday morning in Louisville, Kentucky. Technically, Division I schools are not permitted to be out until Friday, but that didn't stop the action from getting underway at the Run 4 Roses Classic Tournament at the Kentucky Fairgrounds and Exposition Center. Below is a look at seven forwards and posts who stood out when I was able to see them during Day 1's action.   .    In an evening contest Thursday, Taryn entered the game and got to work early. She scored seven points immediately, including two strong finishes inside and a trail 3-pointer that looked more than comfortable for her from the top of the key. I think the biggest thing for her this year is that she has formed her own identity and really embraced who she is as a player. She can be an imposing presence in the paint, plus she can use her skill at all three levels.     Anna could be a very valuable small college prospect because she brings a great deal of versatility to the floor. She is long, wiry, smooth, and fluid athletically. She continues to develop her perimeter skillset, and she is handling & shooting it much better around the 3-point line. At the same time, she is still highly effective in the mid-post, plus she can go inside to help defend and/or rebound. She also seems to be playing with a renewed confidence.     I first saw and wrote about Jillian just a few days ago, and I was able to see her at a little more length Thursday. She has a wiry-strong, athletic frame, and she moves well in most directions. She plays with a lot of effort, plus she is a versatile prospect. Defensively, she is a solid pursuing rebounder, but she doesn't mind being physical around the basket either. Offensively, she is best in the mid-post, but her perimeter game has potential as well.     I first saw Ruby just briefly this Spring, so it was good to catch her again in action earlier today. She has a fairly strong frame, but she's also a solid all-around athlete, and she plays with some versatility. She can put it on the floor a little, she likes to create a little for others, plus she is effective in the mid-post offensively. I would like to see more of her defensively, but I feel like she has the ability to execute ball screen defense with a lot of consistency.     Hannah is a long, wiry, somewhat bouncy frontline prospect who is always around the basketball. She plays hard each possession and seems to love the game, plus she has been really good for this Magic team. She has touch around the arc, she can put it on the floor 3 to 4 dribbles productively, or she can hang out in the mid-post and shoot/attack from there. I also think she does a nice job defensively on the ball and blocking shots from the "weak" side.     Charlie is a solidly built frontliner prospect who has some length, a nice wiry strength, and she doesn't mind seeking contact and playing physically inside the arc. She is a good box-out rebounder, she will also pursue caroms outside of her area, and she is an opportunistic scorer who always finds herself open around the paint. If she can continue to stretch her game to the perimeter, she could be a matchup problem as an inside-out post threat.     I feel like Melaney is primed to have a breakout year for the Pirates of Merrillville. She has the potential to be a double-double performer each night. She has extremely long arms, long legs, some bounce, but also broad shoulders and some strength to her frame. Because of her physical tools, she is often able to find herself in the right spot on the floor, whether that's as an opportunistic scorer or a rebounder/defender. I think she has nice upside.

The featured image is of Charlie Walker Charlie Walker 6'0" | C/PF Terre Haute North Vigo | 2026 IN (2026) of Terre Haute's North Vigo H.S. and Havoc Basketball Silver.